Improvement in ingot-mold strippers



T. JAMES. I Ingot Mold-Stripper. -|\1 .199,55::. i Patented 1an.22,1878,

V W' l UNITED STATES PATENT y OFFICE.

THOMAS JAMES, OFBBADDOCKS, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN INGOT-MOLD STRIPPERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 199,553, dated January22, 1878; application filed November 19, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TnoMAs JAMES, of Braddocks, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Ingot-Mold Strippers 5 and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanyying drawings, which form part ofthis specication, in which- Figure l is a front elevation, partlysectional, showing my invention as applied in duplex form to a pair ofingot-molds. Fig. 2 is a modification.

This invention relates to devices for stripping molds; and consists inparting the chain of a hoisting apparatus and attaching its upperportion to the end of a lever, its lower portion to an intermediatepoint of the lever, and leaving the other end of the lever to effect theejection of the ingot from the mold in the effort to lift; and furtherconsists in the construction and arrangement of parts, substantially ashereinafter fully described and claimed.

Heavy ingots, such as those used in making rails, girders, &c., areusually cast in iron molds, and after casting are removed from the moldsby attaching the crane-hook to a bail on the mold and hoisting it tillthe ingot drops' out of the open bottom of the mold. Butfrequently, andespeciallywhen the molds,

through use, have become rough, the ingot will not drop out, but clings'to the mold,

and recourse is had to the blows of a heavy sledge in order to strip themold of its ingot. This is liable to crack or break the mold, and,besides giving unnecessary trouble to the workmen, causes a waste ofvaluable timea serious thing in a large Bessemer plant, for instance,where the blows succeed each other rapidly and the pit must be kept wellcleared.

To obviate these difficulties I proceed as follows:

y A designates an ingot-mold, having one or more bails, a. I part thehoisting-chain lof the crane near its end, B designating the upperportion, and b the lower. I attach the end of part B to the end of a baror lever, C, and to a point on lever C intermediate between its ends Iattach the lower part b of the chain. The lever C at its other end isbifurcated t0 embrace a plunger, D,

which may have an enlarged base, d, or not. Plunger D has severalinclined slots in one edge to form an adjustable seat for a pin, c,which crosses the bifurcation of lever C.

The plungerv may be inserted in the lever, either as shown in Fig. l, orwith slots facing the other way, as in Fig. 2, in the latter case beingheld in position by a pin, e, inserted in the lever at the rear edgeofthe plunger.

Thus constructed the operation is as follows Chain b is hooked to thebail of the mold, and the plunger resting upon the top of the ingot isadjusted in the lever, so that when pin c is in its proper slot thelever will be about horizontal. Now the crane is put in motion, andpulls upward on the lever at that end; but as the opposite end of thelever rests in the slot of the plunger which rests upon the ingot,which, in turn, rests upon the ground, it follows that the plunger endof lever C cannot move downwardly. Consequently it becomes a fulcrum,and the chain b pulls with great force upon the mold, which must giveway. All this takes but an instants time to accomplish.

I prefer the arrangement of the plunger as shown by Fig. l, because,after being used, the plunger falls to the ground, and is out of the wayuntil an ingot is found refractory, when it is readily adjusted. Thustime is saved and breakage of molds avoided.

The device may be attached in duplicate, as shown in Fig. l, though thisis not necessary.

I claim as my inventionl. As a means of stripping molds, a leverinserted in the tackle of a hoisting apparatus, which tackle is attachedto the mold and provided with means of bearing upon the contents of themold, substantially as described.

2. The combination of chains B and b, lever C, and plunger D,substantially as described.

3. The combination of chain B, chain or grapple b, lever C, bifurcatedatone end, and having cross-pin c, with plunger D, provided with one ormore inclined open slots, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my hand this 6th day of November,187 7 THOMAS JAMES.

